Introduction
What Car? says...
The Toyota C-HR occupies a slot in the Japanese firm's line-up that was unfilled for a surprisingly long time. It's similar in size to the Nissan Qashqai – the car that seems to get all the accolades for kicking off the family SUV craze.
Giving all the glory to the Qashqai is a bit unfair, actually, because the Toyota RAV4 got us interested in family SUVs more than a decade earlier, but over the years the RAV4 has grown into a quite large and expensive beast. In effect, the C-HR, which is now available only in hybrid car form, fills the shoes handed down by the RAV4 as it evolved.
Read on over the next few pages of this review and we'll tell you how the Toyota C-HR squares up against its main rivals – including the Nissan Qashqai, the Seat Ateca and the Skoda Karoq – in all the important areas. We'll also explain which engines and trims make the most sense and suggest the options you might want to consider adding.
If you do decide it's the car for you, don't forget that you could get a big discount without the hassle of haggling by checking out the best prices using the free What Car? New Car Deals service. It list lots of excellent new family SUV deals.
FAQs
It should be – in our 2022 What Car? Reliability Survey the C-HR finished among the top 10 cars in the family SUV category. Better still, Toyota as a manufacturer did even better, claiming second place out of 32 brands.
The C-HR is only available as a hybrid car with a battery-assisted 1.8 or 2.0-litre engine. Both use hybrid technology to deliver strong fuel economy. If you want a similar-sized electric car from the same brand, there’s the Toyota bZ4X.
Our pick of the range is the entry-level model, the C-HR Icon powered by a 1.8-litre hybrid engine. It comes with lots of kit, and the engine is quick enough, economical and significantly cheaper than the other option, a 2.0-litre.
The Icon trim level is the entry-level specification, but on the C-HR it still includes a generous kit list, including a suite of safety equipment and some features such as alloy wheels that some rivals would charge extra for. Design adds good-to-have options including heated seats, automatic wipers and a self-parking feature.
The C-HR received a full five-star ranking from safety experts Euro NCAP when it was tested in 2017 – although it’s worth noting that the tests have been toughened up since then, making comparisons with newer models difficult. Safety kit includes lane-departure warning, an automatic emergency braking (AEB) pre-collision system, blind-spot monitoring and an alert that warns of cars crossing behind as you reverse.
The CH-R’s boot has a volume of 377 litres, which is less than the Seat Ateca, Skoda Karoq and Nissan Qashqai. Annoyingly, while the boot has a reasonably wide opening, it tapers towards the backs of the rear seats, compromising practicality. There’s no height-adjustable boot floor to help create a long, flat space.
| RRP price range | £29,920 - £37,940 |
|---|---|
| Number of trims (see all) | 4 |
| Number of engines (see all) | 2 |
| Available fuel types (which is best for you?) | hybrid |
| MPG range across all versions | 53.3 - 57.7 |
| Available doors options | 5 |
| Warranty | 3 years / 60000 miles |
| Company car tax at 20% (min/max) | £1,545 / £2,111 |
| Company car tax at 40% (min/max) | £3,089 / £4,223 |
| Available colours |
